A/N: Time for a new one! I'm listing this as "never ending" because it could theoretically go on forever. If I ever do end it, it's because Finn's been totally adopted by the Nektons. XD It starts somewhere in the middle of season one (Fontaine will refer to the Captured in a later chapter, but Fontaine and Finn haven't had their bonding episode yet.)

Briefly: After a failed pirate attack, Will and Kaiko find Finn asleep in the hold. Being the responsible parents they are, they put him in a spare bed and don't tell Hammerhead.

Will watched the Dark Orca pirates frantically swimming for their dark sub. He shook his head and turned the Swamp Knight back to the Aronnax.

"Is everyone alright?" Will asked.

A chorus of voices from his family calmed Will's nerves. He'd been cut off from his family for the last three hours after pirates had trapped his Knight in an underwater cave. By the time he'd freed himself, his family was struggling to retake the Aronnax from another pirate ambush. With Will's help, the sub had been cleared out and the Moon Pool sealed.

"I think we're pirate-free here, Dad," Fontaine said.

"Kaiko?" Will said.

"I'm checking the cameras now, but we appear to be. Hammerhead never leaves without his full crew."

Will checked on the Dark Orca, which was slowly turning away. Will re-opened the Moon Pool and swam inside before closing it again.

"I'm inside," Will said. "Let's get some room between us."

"Agreed," Kaiko said, sounding tired.

They were all tired. The only reason Will had been fooled into the cave was because he'd been wrapping up a full day of studying the cave system. It was nearly midnight.

"I can't believe Hammerhead tricked us with shiny lights," Fontaine muttered over the comms. "What are we? Squid?"

"Under a certain light…" Ant laughed at Fontaine's growl.

"It's late," Will said. "Let's just make sure there aren't any pirates, then go to bed."

"I'm pretty sure they all left," Fontaine said. "I saw Hammerhead, Danny Boy, and Madeline… Finn was unaccounted for, but I didn't see him at all."

"Were you looking?" Ant asked.

"Pirate roll call," Fontaine shot back.

"Finn could have been left on the Dark Orca to drive," Kaiko said. "The hold cameras are off-line, but none of the pirates got that far. Everything else appears to be clear, Will."

"Good." Will directed the claw to pick up the Swamp Knight. "Head to bed, everyone. We won't be having any more pirate troubles tonight."

Fontaine gave mumbly assent. Ant sounded too high-strung to sleep, but Will knew he'd get tired soon enough. And Kaiko wouldn't leave the bridge until Will retrieved her.

Will put away the Knight and went to the bridge. Kaiko was right where he predicted. Fontaine, apparently too tired to leave her post on the bridge, was conked out in her chair.

"Are you coming?" Will asked as he carefully lifted Fontaine.

"In a minute," Kaiko said distractedly.

Will shrugged, then carried Fontaine from the bridge. He took her to her room and settled her in bed. He then checked on Ant, finding the boy half-asleep in bed. Will left Ant where he was and returned to the bridge as Kaiko was leaving.

"Something's still up with the hold camera," Kaiko said through a yawn. "I'm going to check it out."

"Can it wait until the morning?"

"Not really… it'll only take a minute."

"I'll keep you company," Will offered.

Kaiko gave Will a tired smile. The pair made their slow way to the hold and headed inside.

"The faulty camera is over here," Kaiko said, meandering around the massive crates. "Probably just a loose connection or… Will?"

Will startled at Kaiko's suddenly alert voice. He hurried around a crate and found Kaiko standing under one of the cameras, a bemused look on her face.

"What is it?" Will asked.

Kaiko pointed. Will stepped further past the crate, and finally saw what had caught Kaiko's attention.

It was Finn, who'd seemingly been missing from the pirate attack. Somehow, for some reason, he'd snuck further than the rest of the pirates and hidden in the hold. Hidden… and fallen asleep.

Finn was hunched up in a corner formed by crates. His legs stuck straight out in front of him, his body arched outward from his oxygen tank, and his head hung forward. Despite the awkward position, he was snoring softly.

"I'm guessing this was part of Hammerhead's plan?" Will asked rhetorically.

"Went about as well as the rest of the plan," Kaiko said in amusement.

Will shook his head with a chuckle. He crouched and lightly shook Finn's shoulder. "Finn, time to wake up."

Finn grumbled in his sleep and shifted away from Will's hand.

"Finn, the attack is over," Will went on, grinning. "Come on, let's get you back to the Dark Orca."

"Will," Kaiko suddenly said

Will looked away from his useless attempts to rouse Finn. Kaiko was staring at Finn with an odd expression.

"Did Hammerhead forget about Finn?"

"Well…" Will thought about the departing Dark Orca. "It's part of his plan?"

Kaiko rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "I'm sure it's not."

Will stood and waved a hand at the still-sleeping Finn. "So, what then? Do we call Hammerhead?"

"I've dealt enough with Hammerhead for one night," Kaiko grumbled. "Let's just… send Finn off when he wakes up."

"You're okay with him staying here?" Will asked. Obviously, it wasn't like they'd just ditch Finn in the ocean all alone, but…

"Not here," Kaiko said, waving at the floor.

"Well, we do have spare rooms," Will said, warming immediately to the idea.

"Let's do that," Kaiko said. She rubbed her eyes. "Kid's got to be just as tired as the rest of us."

Kaiko's statement proved to be true. Even when Will picked him up, Finn didn't wake up. He just sighed and curled toward Will, the act causing Kaiko's eyes to soften.

Will carried Finn to a spare room beside his and Kaiko's and across from Fontaine's, and set the boy on the bed. Finn proved to be truly out, as Will was able to remove Finn's oxygen tank and helmet without waking the boy.

Kaiko removed Finn's communicator with the claim of not wanting Finn to call back-up before dawn. Will hesitated to lock the door, but nobody wanted Finn running freely on the Aronnax if he woke up before anyone else.

With their kids and the stowaway in bed and asleep, Will and Kaiko finally went to bed themselves and slept soundly until dawn.

The next morning, Kaiko surprised her kids with the announcement on the bridge of Finn's presence.

Fontaine stared at Kaiko for a solid minute. Then, "You're joking."

"Please tell me you're joking," Ant added.

"I'm not," Kaiko said, smiling as she relived the previous night. "Finn must have been sent ahead for some other plan of Hammerhead's once the full crew was aboard or something. But he somehow never heard that they were leaving, and fell asleep in the hold. Your dad's checking on him now."

"You have got to be joking." Fontaine dropped her head in her hands. "You're telling me that we've kidnapped Hammerhead's son."

Kaiko hadn't thought of it like that… "Accidentally."

"I don't know what's funnier," Ant said. "That we accidentally kidnapped Finn, or that he fell asleep during the attack."

"What do we do now?" Fontaine asked.

Kaiko was about to respond that she didn't know yet, when her console beeped. She turned and saw an incoming call from a very familiar origin.

"We're about to find out."

Kaiko opened up the communications. "Hammerhead."

"Nektons!" Hammerhead bellowed. "What have ya done?!"

Finn was still sleeping when Will checked on him, which seemed odd. While it wasn't too early, surely Finn would have sensed that something was off and woken up already?

Will hesitated from waking Finn. Will had never seen him so relaxed and unguarded, and on the "enemy" ship no less. Either the boy simply didn't care at all, or he was too tired to care.

Will left Finn alone and headed for the bridge, figuring Kaiko had already explained everything to Fontaine and Ant. When Will reached the bridge, he found that not only did the kids know, Hammerhead had joined the conversation at some point.

Fontaine spotted Will by the door and hurried over. "Hammerhead just noticed that we kidnapped Finn."

"'Kidnapped'?" Will repeated.

"I said it as a joke, but Hammerhead seems to think it." Fontaine shrugged. "Mum's going along with it."

"Fine!" Hammerhead yelled. "One month, and not a day more!"

"It's so nice of you to agree," Kaiko said with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Pleasure doing business with you, Hammerhead."

Hammerhead growled and cut off communications. Once he was off the screen, Kaiko shook her head and laughed.

"What was that all about?" Will asked.

Kaiko turned. "Hammerhead seemed to think that he needed a trade to get Finn back. I let him think that and, well, Hammerhead's promised to leave all boats, ecosystems, and treasure alone for one month."

Will chuckled at their luck. "Where's the Dark Orca now?"

"Headed this way," Kaiko said. "They'll be here soon. Where's Finn?"

"Still in bed."

"He's still asleep?" Ant asked.

"Maybe it's hard being a pirate," Fontaine said drily.

"Or it's a trick!"

Fontaine rolled her eyes. "You think everything the pirates do is a trick."

"Well, isn't it?"

Fontaine opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it with a sigh. "Ant… has a point."

Ant arched an eyebrow. "I can see it pains you to agree with me."

"Why do you think it's so rare?" Fontaine looked at Kaiko. "They are pirates."

"Which is why we should get Finn off the Aronnax," Kaiko said. She stood. "The Dark Orca will be here by the time we get Finn outside."

Will nodded and led the way to where he'd left Finn. While everyone else waited outside, Will entered the room and shook Finn's shoulder.

Finn's face scrunched up at being disturbed. His eyes squinted open, then blinked blearily around the room. It took him a second to notice Will, but Finn stiffened as soon as he did.

"I can explain," Finn said, blinking rapidly as he woke up.

"I bet you can." Will stepped back. "Come on, get up. Your father will be here soon."

Finn sat up, eyeing Will cautiously. "So, I'm not your prisoner?"

"Not anymore." Will hid a smile at Finn's confusion. "Kaiko and Hammerhead already negotiated for your release."

"Oh."

Finn didn't say anything else. He didn't take his eyes off Will while he put his oxygen tank back on and grabbed his helmet.

"Let's go," Will said sternly, opening the door and waving Finn ahead.

Outside, Finn was met with Kaiko's wary eyes and glares from Fontaine and Ant. Finn raised his hands with a nervous chuckle, and let himself be led to the Moon Pool room.

"And this is where we say good-bye," Kaiko said as she opened the Moon Pool. She held out Finn's communicator.

"Er, thanks." Finn took his communicator, then gave the Nektons his usual grin. "Until next time?"

"Let's keep this as the only time," Kaiko said shortly.

Finn's grin grew as he replaced his helmet. He gave a jaunty salute, then stepped backwards into the water.

Kaiko closed the Moon Pool as soon as Finn was outside. "We never did figure out what his plan had been."

"I want to know how he got so far," Ant said.

Fontaine shook her head and walked away. "I'm just glad we're going to get a break from them."

Will had to agree. Even just one month of not having to wonder what the pirates were up to would be a relief.

...as long as Hammerhead kept his word.

A/N: Madeline's pretty unlikely to get involved. I have the hardest time writing the world's tinies pirate.

Up next: Finn gets a concussion and Kaiko's "Mom Mode" is activated.